Railway-switch.



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' A. YoUNGBLooD. 'RAILWAY SWITCH.

APP IIIIIIIIIIII D M 1111111 2.

I 0 E 0 D E L 3 8 E E E T S S H E E T 3.

i 4mmmulwumumnn z ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMOS YOUNGBLOOD, OF NORTH AUGUSTA, SOUTH CAROLINA.

ARAILWAY- SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION formng part of Letters Patent No. 720,090, dated February 10, 1903.

` Application filed May la, 1902. serial N0.1o7,075. (No model.)

To all whom t mycmtocr:

Be it known that I,.AMOS` YOUNGBLOOD, a citizen of the'United States, and a resident of North Augusta, in the county of Aiken and State of South Carolina, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in railway-switches; and it consists in certain novel constructions and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view showing the switch and the operating devices, with the main line open. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the switch-track, showing thetrack` open to the siding or switch. Fig. 3 is a side view of the locomotive provided with the devices for automatically shifting the switchpoints. Fig. 4 is a detail cross-section on about line 4. 4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a detail enlarged section illustrating the connection between the switch-bar and one of the cam-bars for operating such switch-bar. Fig. 6 isa front elevation of the devices for automatically operating the switch. Fig. 7 is a bottom plan View illustrating a portion of the devices for automatically operating the switch. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the devices for automatically operating the switch, and Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view illustrating the spring devicesfor securing the switchpoints in their different adjustments.

In the construction shown, A, B, and O are the rails for the main line, and D and E are the siding or switch rails, and F and F' are the switch-points which communicate with the main-line rail C and the switch-rail E and are movable at their swinging ends to the position shown in Fig. 2 to open the switch or to the position shown in Fig. 1 to close the switch and open the main line, as is common in switches. These switch-points are connected by the connecting-'bar G, extending between them near their free ends and engaged with one end of the rocking lever H, which is pivoted between its ends at H', and connects at its other end at H2 with the switch-bar I, whose opposite ends are connected at I' with the meeting ends of the cam-bars J, which are arranged for operation by devices on the 1ocomotive or other moving equipment, as will shown.

outer sides concaved, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, are braced on their outer sides by the trussrods K, secured at their opposite ends to vthe cam-bars, near the ends thereof, and

preferably made in sections united by a suitable straining device K', such as a turnbuckle, as shown in Figs. l and 2. The trussrod. lits in notches or slots L in the outer ends of lugs L, projecting outwardly from the cam-bars, and are thus kept in line with the cam-bars, as will be understood from Figs. 1, 2, and 4. The cam-bars are of angle metal, iron or steel, having the upright wingj and the top wingj' projecting outwardly from the upper edge of the upright wingj, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. As shown, the lugs L are secured at' their inner ends to the under side of the top wings j' and project outwardly, as shown. Near their meeting ends, which connect at I' with the switch-bar I, the barsJ are provided with studs or projections J', which depend from the top wings j', near the ollter edges of said wings, as shown in Fig. 5, andV are engaged by portions of the switch-bar I, as best shown in Fig. 5. In the construction shown in Fig. 5 and as preferred the switchbar I, which is supported onantifriction-rollers M, is provided at its ends with upwardlyprojecting wings N, which are provided with upper and lower arms O and P. The arm O voverlies the cam-bar J, while the arm P projects into the hollowV of said cam-bar and is provided with an upwardly-projecting portion P' for engagement by the inner side of the stud J', as shown in Fig. 5. In the construction of the cam-bars ordinary iron or steel rails may and probably will be used in practice. By the described construction it will be understood that as the cam-bars J are rocked on their pivots I2 they will by the engagement of their inner ends with the switchbar I operate through the described connections to shift the switch from one position, such as shown in Fig. 1, to the other position, such as shown in Fig. 2, or vice versa. At the same time the cam-bars are conven- ICO iently arranged so they will not be operated except when desired, are strengthened by the arrangement of the truss bars or rods, which can be adjusted and tightened to any desired degree, and the operation of any one of the four cam-bars tends to set the switch as desired.

In order to hold the switch-points in their dilferent positions, I extend the bar G at G and connect with it the pitman G2, which is secured to one arm of a lever G3, said lever being pivoted between its ends at G1 and engaged at its end by a spring-rod G5, which tends to hold the lever in either of the positions shown in Figs. l and 2. If the parts be in the position shown in Fig. 2, with the switch open, and a train approaches from the left which it is desired to direct along the main track, the operating devices on the train should be set to engage the cam-bar J at the left end of the under side of the said Fig. 2, so it will as the train approaches the switchpoints throw the cam-bars and switch-points to the position shown in Fig. l, thus opening the main line, as shown in Fig. l.

For operating the cam-bars I provide what for convenience of reference I term the operating projections 1, which are shown in the form of disks, having shafts 2 journaled in bearing portions 3 at the opposite ends of the rods 4 of the carrier 5. Between their ends the rods 4 are connected by a bar 6, which has a number of holes 7, which can be entered by the detentbolt presently described. The rods 4 slide laterally in the frame 8, arranged between the ends of the rods, so the operating projections l, which are located outside of the frame 8, as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, can be set to the right or left to engage the cam-bars on one or the other side of the track, as may be desired. The frame 8 has a boxing 9, in which is supported the bolt l0, which enters one or the other of the holes 7 and is pressed normally into one of said holes by a coil-spring 11, operating within the box 9, or by the plate-spring operating upon the outer end of the bolt 10, as shown in Fig. 8, or by both springs, if desired. To release the bolt l0 from engagement with the carrier 5, I employ a lever 13, pivoted at 14, and arranged at one end 15 to operate upon the bolt l0 to release the same and having its other end connected by a wire or rod 1G with a lever 17 in the cab of the locomotive. To shift the carrier 5 laterally, I provide a rock-shaft 1S, having a cam-arm I9, connected by a pitman 20 with the said carrier 5, and the second crank-arm 2l, connected by a pitman or rod 22 with the lever 23 in the eab of the locomotive, as best shown in Fig. 3.

l In the operation of the construction the lever 17 is rst moved to release the detent 10, after which the lever 23 is operated to shift the carrier 5 to its central neutral position or to the other side, as may be desired.

The construction is simple, easily operated,

and is efficient for the purpose for which it is designed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In arailway-switch the combination with the m ain-line rails and the switcher side rails, of the switch-points, the bar connecting said points, the pitman connected at one end with the switch-points, the lever with which the other end of said pitman is connected, the spring operating upon said lever to hold the switch-points in dierent adjustments, the rocking lever pivoted between its ends and connected at one end with the bar which connects the switch-points, the switch-bar connected with the other end `of said rocking lever and provided at its ends with the upturned wings having upper and lower rails, the cam-bars pivoted at their outer ends and engaged at their inner ends between the arms of said wings, said cam-bars being made of angle metal with inner upright wings and top wings extending outwardly from the upper edges of the upright wings, and the trussrods applied to said cam-bars substantially as set forth.

2. In a railway-switch and in combination with the devices for operation thereby, the cam -bar sloped between its ends and provided in its hollow outer side with a trussrod for bracing the same, substantially as set forth.

3. Acam-barforautomaticswitchescurved between its ends and provided with lugs projecting from its hollow or concave side and having seats in their outer ends, and the truss-rod for said cam-bar held in said seats, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the switch-points, the switch-bar provided at its ends with upturned wings having inwardly-projecting upper and lower arms, the lower arm being provided at its free end with an upturned portion, and the cam-bars fitting at their adjacent ends between the said upper and lower arms and provided with depending studs for engagement with the upturned portion of the lower arm of the switch-bar, substantially as set forth.

5. A switch-bar provided at its ends with upper and lower laterally-projecting arms one of which has an upright portion, and a cam-bar fitting between said arms and having an upright portion for engagement with the upright portion of one of said arms, substantially as set forth.

6. A cam-bar for switches sloped longitudinally and having an upright wing and a horizontal wing and provided with lugs projecting from its concave side and with a truss brace-rod engaged with said lugs, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of the switch-points the switch-bar, means whereby a switch-bar may operate the switch-points, the cam-bars pivoted at their outer ends and engaged at IOO IIO

their inner ends with the switch-bar, the opposite operating projections on the rollingstock, the laterally-sliding carrier for said projections, means for shifting such carrier to different positions, and means for locking the said carrier in its different positions substantially as set forth.

8. In an apparatus substantially as described the combination of the operating projections consisting of disks and upright shafts carrying the saine, the carrier for said projections having theslide-rods and the bearings at the ends thereof for the shafts of the operating projections and provided between its ends with a connecting portion having a series of openings, a frame in which said carrier is slidably supported, a detent-pin operating in said openings, a lever whereby said shifting the carrier and for holding it in dif- 3o ferent positions, substantially as set forth.

AMOS YOUNGBLOOD.

Witnesses: l

ALBERT G. SHERMAN, ROBERT H. YoUNGBLooD. 

